In April of 2018, the YA anthology Love at the Edge of Seventeen will be released. Currently, a Kickstarter campaign is being held for the project. This anthology is shaping up to be a great one. It features the work of ten different authors — including M.T. DeSantis! To back Love at the Edge of Seventeen, please click here. To check out M.T. DeSantis’ terrific blog, click here.

]]>https://architectsofworldsafar.wordpress.com/2017/11/12/love-at-the-edge-of-seventeen-kickstarter/feed/0jessyhernandez7Spring fever has infected the teens in these 10 stories, leading to hijinks, drama, misunderstandings...and maybe even love.Release Day!https://architectsofworldsafar.wordpress.com/2017/10/07/release-day/
https://architectsofworldsafar.wordpress.com/2017/10/07/release-day/#commentsSat, 07 Oct 2017 18:55:33 +0000http://architectsofworldsafar.wordpress.com/?p=8937Continue reading Release Day!]]>Hello, everyone! It’s Jessica. I just want to share with you all that my newest fantasy novel — Cayleth Warding and the Scarlet One — hits virtual shelves today!

Paperback copies will soon be available, too.

Until then, I invite you all to head on over to Amazonand pick up an e-copy. If you do — and if you give it a read — please let me know what you think! (I love getting to chat with readers.)

Also launching today is the book trailer for Cayleth Warding and the Scarlet One. I’ve been looking forward to sharing this video with you all. It was a lot of fun to put together, and it is my hope that you’ll enjoy viewing it. (*Fingers crossed*)

Without further ado, here’s the trailer:

Intrigued? Yay! I’d hoped you’d say so. Why not head on over to Amazonand pick up a copy today? C’mon, you know you want to.

]]>https://architectsofworldsafar.wordpress.com/2017/10/07/release-day/feed/2jessyhernandez7giphypartyingtenorgiphy1tenor1Looking to Be Interviewed?https://architectsofworldsafar.wordpress.com/2017/09/23/looking-to-be-interviewed/
https://architectsofworldsafar.wordpress.com/2017/09/23/looking-to-be-interviewed/#commentsSat, 23 Sep 2017 08:24:54 +0000http://architectsofworldsafar.wordpress.com/?p=8804Continue reading Looking to Be Interviewed?]]>Fellow authors, come hither!I have a site that I must tell you about.

I recently had the pleasure of connecting with The Contents Page, a site dedicated to helping authors promote their books. The Contents Page offers authors the opportunity to be interviewed. What better way to reach new readers?

Their publications look amazing — very aesthetically pleasing! Don’t just take my word for it, though. Click here and see for yourself.

If you’re interested in working with The Contents Page, I invite you to click here and fill out their contact form. To read through their various posts and learn about upcoming writing competitions, click here.

]]>https://architectsofworldsafar.wordpress.com/2017/09/23/looking-to-be-interviewed/feed/1jessyhernandez7Book Trailer: She Watcheshttps://architectsofworldsafar.wordpress.com/2017/09/17/book-trailer-she-watches/
https://architectsofworldsafar.wordpress.com/2017/09/17/book-trailer-she-watches/#respondSun, 17 Sep 2017 17:46:17 +0000http://architectsofworldsafar.wordpress.com/?p=8755Continue reading Book Trailer: She Watches]]>Last month, author David Kummer launched the book trailer for his soon-to-be-released novel, She Watches. I had the privilege of getting to craft said video, and I’m super excited to share it with you all today. Without further ado…tada!

Looks like an intriguing story, doesn’t it? She Watches is set to be released on 8 November 2017. If you’d like to pre-order a copy and have it automatically delivered to your kindle on release day, please click here. To learn more about David Kummer’s other titles, please click here. (In addition to works of horror, he writes fantasy novels and has a short story collection.)

Want to learn more about David Kummer? I invite you to click here and watch an interview that I conducted with him last year.

As you may have ascertained from the trailer, She Watches is a sequel. The first novel in this series, She, is available for just $0.99 on Amazon. If you’re interested in a copy of that title, please click here.

Elite soldier Marian serves and protects the royal family—a responsibility she does not take lightly. But when she thwarts an assassination attempt on the king, she unwittingly becomes a prime suspect. Worse, she is left with a terrible, pulsing wound and vile, intrusive thoughts that are not her own. Now, the mysterious cult behind the attack has targeted her, and Marian soon learns of their goal to restore a devastating relic: the legendary Rose Crown.

Former mercenary Henryk has vowed to prevent the restoration of the Rose Crown at any cost. When he encounters Marian, he discovers the terrifying truth of her involvement—and the mortal danger they both face. Drawn together by the very thing that could destroy them, Henryk and Marian must forge a bond of trust—before it’s too late.

Can Marian battle against the ancient darkness consuming her soul, or will it utterly destroy them both?

Ladies and gentlemen, please put your hands together for the author of The Rose Crown, Catharine Glen!

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I’m a Massachusettsian, born and raised. I’m really attached to this part of the country (especially when autumn rolls around), and could not picture myself living anywhere else. I am a psychologist by education, but pursued other interests in the health and medical device field (incidentally, that required a lot of writing).

Many of my hobbies stem from my childhood and continue to be things that I enjoy. I am a long-time gamer (first system was the NES) and fan of Lego (still have my sets from the 80’s). I also have a deep interest in Japan: its culture, language, music, video games, anime, and of course food. I’ve visited there twice and can easily say Tokyo is my favorite city. Reading and writing are a given, and I also play the piano.

2. Using five words or less, describe the protagonist in The Rose Crown.
Loyal, independent, stubborn, proud.

3. What does a typical writing session look like for you?
My writing sessions tend to be either midday or late at night. I can write anywhere, really. I wrote my first novel, THE ROSE CROWN, at the local Starbucks, the library, on my couch, and in my home office. Music is a must. I typically listen to instrumental music to help set the mood and to separate myself from the rest of the world. Genres include video game / anime soundtracks, classical crossover, techno and electronic, new age, and Renaissance.

Each writing session has a goal, set at the end of the previous session so I can dive right in when I start the next. I am a very process-oriented person and setting small goals is important to keeping things moving and staying positive. I track word count but do not set hard and fast goals. It’s more important that I address whatever needs attention (writing or finishing a scene, editing a certain chapter, etc.).

4. What is your favorite book genre?
Fantasy has long been my favorite genre to read, and it is what I primarily write as well.

5. What is currently on your to-be-read shelf?
Hoo boy, my TBR list has grown quite large. I read a lot of self-published work, and have been reading several books of my fellow SPFBO (Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off) participants. However, right now I am reading Red Sister by Mark Lawrence (who also facilitates the SPFBO).

6. Any project in the works?
My next fantasy novel is in development and I will have more details in early 2018. I can say that this upcoming book will not be related to THE ROSE CROWN, but rather something entirely new.

7. In your opinion, what makes a story ‘good’?
An interesting premise, fleshed-out world, or intriguing magic system is all well and good, but without believable characters a story just won’t work for me. A ‘good’ story must have characters with clear motivations and goals who act and react realistically (in line with their personality). I know when an author has achieved this when I actually care about the characters and want to know what happens next. I strive to do this in my own writing.

And now for a game of “Which Do/Would You Prefer?”1. Summer or winter?
Summer. It always brings out the nostalgia for childhood.

2. Cake or ice-cream?
Ice cream most definitely.

3. Nights out or nights in?
Nights in. I’m a homebody, what can I say?

4. Living in the city or living in the country?
Country – I prefer the quiet.

5. Having telepathy or having telekinesis?
Telekinesis. Much more practical.

6. Being able to speak and understand every language known to humankind or being able to speak and understand every language known to animals?
Every human language.

7. Going without internet access for a week or going without watching any movies/television shows for a week?
Easy – no movies/TV. I rarely watch TV anyway!

8. Losing your ability to speak or losing your ability to hear?
I’d rather keep my hearing and not be able to speak. I could always communicate via writing or sign language.

9. To never read another book or to never watch another film?
I would give up films before books any day.

10. To never again eat a piece of chocolate or to never again drink a cup of coffee?
Tough one. I would have to give up the chocolate!

]]>https://architectsofworldsafar.wordpress.com/2017/09/16/author-interview-catharine-glen/feed/1jessyhernandez732563250Book Trailer Reveal — Emerald Greenhttps://architectsofworldsafar.wordpress.com/2017/07/04/book-trailer-reveal-emerald-green/
https://architectsofworldsafar.wordpress.com/2017/07/04/book-trailer-reveal-emerald-green/#respondTue, 04 Jul 2017 17:16:57 +0000http://architectsofworldsafar.wordpress.com/?p=8289Continue reading Book Trailer Reveal — Emerald Green]]>I recently had the opportunity to work with author Lindsay Marie Miller and compose a trailer for one of her novels, Emerald Green. Today, I’m thrilled to share said video with you all!

Currently, Emerald Green is available on Amazon for free. That’s right, free! Click here to head on over there and grab your copy today.

To learn more about Lindsay Marie Miller (and to check out what she’s up to) feel free to click here and visit her website.

]]>https://architectsofworldsafar.wordpress.com/2017/07/04/book-trailer-reveal-emerald-green/feed/0jessyhernandez7Author Interview: Nick Abdillahttps://architectsofworldsafar.wordpress.com/2017/06/09/author-interview-nick-abdilla/
https://architectsofworldsafar.wordpress.com/2017/06/09/author-interview-nick-abdilla/#commentsFri, 09 Jun 2017 15:25:08 +0000http://architectsofworldsafar.wordpress.com/?p=8186Continue reading Author Interview: Nick Abdilla]]>“Why did they kidnap me? I’m not rich. I don’t have a lot of family to extort. I have certainly not been a police officer long enough to make any enemies. But instead of waking to the incessant ringing of my alarm clock back in my small city apartment, I awoke in the dirt. In the jungle. Naked. What is happening? Where are their demands?

Then I found her; beautiful and graceful, without a mark to show for her life trapped here. Wherever here is. How did she survive in this jungle? In fact, how is she keeping me alive? 14 days now, she has hunted, caught, cooked and provided without ever saying a word. She has listened to everything I’ve said, but never responds. Is she in on it? Am I in some weird experiment, or is it all a dream? But it can’t be a dream, because I keep having terrible nightmares. About bright lights, and pain, and figures at my door their voices in my head. Of jumping off cliffs, being eaten by monsters and hanging myself. How can you have such vivid nightmares inside a dream?

Then there is the X, tattooed on my head. Who kidnaps someone and then tattoos an X on their forehead? What’s it all mean? I’ve had enough! Tomorrow I’m taking control and repaying my debt to this girl. Tomorrow I escape.”

Coffee with Architects of Worlds Afar is delighted to announce that joining us in the virtual studio today is the author of Adam Exitus, Nick Abdilla!

1. When did you start writing?
I originally wanted to be a comic book artist AND writer and I can remember creating my own comics as young as four. Although I imagine the writing was probably not very good back then. It’s fair to say I can remember writing always being a big part of my life. The Game Guy comic strip that was featured in Gameinformer each month was my first published work and that’s when I started to consider writing as an actual career.

2. Why did you start writing?
As I mentioned previously I was interested in drawing as well as writing. The drawing side was clearly from my dad who is an amazing artist, but the interest in writing was uniquely mine. For some reason drawing a single picture was never enough for me. My pictures had to tell a story. I think what is boils down to, is I enjoy entertaining people and imagining new worlds.

3. Do you recall the moment you first conceived the idea for your novel?
I can remember the exact day I created Adam. It was June 6th 2006 which is weird that I remember that because I don’t remember the exact date of any of my other creations. It was originally a comic book, which I decided to turn into a novel ten years later as the story still resonated with me so strongly. My editor Chris Stead helped me flesh out a lot of the concepts for the novel but I’m proud to say the book remains very true to the original.

4. Tell us a little bit about your book’s title.
The original name I was running with for the book was Adam Exodus. But when I was close to completing my first draft, I discovered there was already a book out there with a very similar title. So began a mad search for a new name with me eventually settling on the now preferred Adam Exitus. Exitus: which is latin for “a passage from which one may depart” holds far more significance to the overall story, then the aforementioned exodus. So I guess it all worked out for the best in the end.

5. Does your story have a moral?
The book has a lot of themes but if I had to pick one moral to the story it would be “to never give up”. Adam faces many trials throughout his journey and considers giving in many times, but these hardships ultimately make him a better person and I think that is the point I’m trying to get across to the reader. That the hard times make us better people in the long run.

6. Of the characters you’ve created, which one is your favorite?
That’s easy. Anne is my favorite character and judging by most of the feedback I’m receiving a bit of a fan favorite as well. Problem is I can’t really tell you why without spoiling what makes her special. Sorry:)

7. Using five words or less, describe the protagonist in Adam Exitus.
Adam starts of his adventure very unsure, inexperienced and maybe even a little naive. But at his core he is brave, kind and always puts the welfare of others before his own.

8. What does a typical writing session look like for you?
I like quiet when I’m writing so I mostly do it late at night when the wife and kids have all gone to bed. I have a little corner alcove at home where I do all my writing and drawing.

9. How do you feel about outlines? Are you for or against them?
Not a big fan. I like to work at my own pace.

10. What is your favorite book genre?
Another easy one. Science fiction fantasy. Maybe one day I might explore other genres but for now I’m happy writing books under that category.

11. What are you currently reading?
Star Wars Thrawn by one of my long time favorite writers Timothy Zahn.

12. What is your favorite book?
Too hard. There are so many books I love I can’t narrow it down to just one. The Night Angel trilogy by Brent Weeks springs to mind of the top of my head though.

13. Any project in the works?
Been super busy working on Adam Exiled, which is the sequel to Adam Exitus.

14. How long does it usually take you to write a book?
A good year for a first draft, with another year of fine tuning.

15. In your opinion, what makes a story ‘good’?
Being able to see aspects of yourself in the character you are reading.

16. What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Never give up. There’s a lot of rejection before you get that big break.

And now for a game of “Which Do/Would You Prefer?”1. Books or movies?
Books

2. Dogs or cats?
Cats

3. Summer or winter?
Winter

4. Cake or ice-cream?
Cake

5. Car or motorcycle?
Car

6. Ebook or physical book?
Physical book

7. Nights out or nights in?
Night in

8. Living in the city or living in the country?
City

9. Having telepathy or having telekinesis?
Telekinesis

10. Being able to travel to the past or being able to travel to the future?
Past

11. Making a phone call or sending a text?
Text

12. Travelling by car or travelling by airplane?
Car

13. Staying in a hotel or going camping?
Hotel

14. Working in a group or working alone?
Alone

15. Losing all of your money or losing every picture you’ve ever taken and every picture that has ever been taken of you?
Money

16. To find true love or to win the lottery?
Love

17. Being Spider-Man for a day or being Batman for a day?
Spider-Man

18. Reading or writing?
Writing

Thank you for joining us, Nick!
Readers: want to connect with Nick? You can find him on Twitter, Goodreads, and Facebook.

]]>https://architectsofworldsafar.wordpress.com/2017/06/09/author-interview-nick-abdilla/feed/1jessyhernandez7Book Trailer Reveal — Cyberhawks Versus Storm Troopershttps://architectsofworldsafar.wordpress.com/2017/05/06/book-trailer-reveal-cyberhawks-versus-storm-troopers/
https://architectsofworldsafar.wordpress.com/2017/05/06/book-trailer-reveal-cyberhawks-versus-storm-troopers/#respondSat, 06 May 2017 16:13:47 +0000http://architectsofworldsafar.wordpress.com/?p=7904I recently had the pleasure of working with author Mark Logie to create a trailer for his novel Cyberhawks Versus Storm Troopers. I am excited to share with you all the finished product.

]]>https://architectsofworldsafar.wordpress.com/2017/05/06/book-trailer-reveal-cyberhawks-versus-storm-troopers/feed/0jessyhernandez7Author Interview: Rae Elsehttps://architectsofworldsafar.wordpress.com/2017/04/07/author-interview-rae-else/
https://architectsofworldsafar.wordpress.com/2017/04/07/author-interview-rae-else/#respondFri, 07 Apr 2017 15:25:59 +0000http://architectsofworldsafar.wordpress.com/?p=7675Continue reading Author Interview: Rae Else]]>There are lots of stories about the children of gods. But what about those cursed by the gods, and their descendants…

El, a seventeen-year-old has inherited an ancient and deadly power. She loses control of it, causing a horrific accident, and becomes the prey of a secret organisation, known as the Order.

Forced from her family and home, she hides in plain sight amidst the crowds of London, and is thrust into a world she never knew existed; one full of arete: beings with extraordinary powers like hers.

Arete are beings that can trace their lineage and powers from ancient Greece. They do not claim their inheritance comes from the gods, rather legend says they are descended from cursed beings, such as Medusa.

At the heart of their world is the kerykeion, the symbol that protects them from the humans and the humans from them. El is trapped between two factions, one that has built an empire around the kerykeion and another that is determined to bring it down.

As she is drawn deeper into the conflict, the only way to find the truth is to take matters into her own hands, and the line between friend and foe becomes dangerously blurred.

Sounds extremely interesting, doesn’t it? Descendants is set to be released on 12 April 2017. Joining us today is its author, Rae Else. Please help me give her a warm welcome!

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Where you are from?

I’m originally from a little town called Lanark in South Lanarkshire in Scotland. I went to university in Durham, lived in Newcastle and now live in London. So, I’ve basically been making my way down the UK.

Do you have any hobbies?

Other than reading, which I do a lot of, I love to scuba-dive. It’s a great way to switch off from the literary stuff – books and devices tend to get a bit wet if you try and take them into a quarry or the sea! I dive in the UK year round (in a drysuit) but love to get off to tropical reefs when I can.

What do you do for a living?

I was a primary school teacher in my twenties and a couple of years ago set-up a dog-walking business so as to have more time to focus on my writing. I can generally be found frolicking with my hounds, who help me sniff out new plots and characters.

What did you study in college?

I studied Classics at University, which has given me my love of mythology and ancient worlds which I draw on in lots of my stories.

Give us a few fun facts about yourself.

I can do a great Donald Duck impression (as can my brother, much to the dismay of other family members who have sat through many ducky conversations). I did my first Ouija/séance when I was about 7 years old as my dad was convinced we were living in a haunted house…and…struggling for another fun fact. Umm, when I was a kid I really, really wanted to be able to turn into a dog. (Perhaps that’s why I love running around with my pack these days!

2. When did you start writing?
I loved writing creatively in primary school and although I loved reading throughout high school – the creative urge to write waned then. I started writing again towards the end of university though and penned a first series called The Elementals in my early twenties. It was quite a complicated story – a story about reincarnation and with the narrative spanning millennia. At the time, although I got it written down, I didn’t feel that I had the skill or craft to do it justice. I look forward to revisiting it when the time is right. Look forward to, and dread! It will need an extensive re-drafting.

3. Why did you start writing?
The Elementals was the reason I started writing – the idea niggled at me throughout university and had to be written down.

4. Do you recall the moment you first conceived the idea for your novel?
After I finished up teaching, I brain-stormed and jotted down some ideas that had been percolating. Descendants, The Arete Series was the one that dominated. I mapped out the first book, then the second and, I’d like to say the third, but that needs a thorough redrafting too! Lol!

5. How different is the final product (the book) from your original vision? That is, did the structure and content of the novel change with the passage of time?
Yes, very much so. I went through so many iterations of the novel in the past two years. So much has changed, and yet, the themes and the heart of the novel has stayed the same.

6. How did you arrive at your book’s title?
Descendants was the title I knew I wanted when I was sketching out from the beginning stage. I just didn’t know which ancient hero I wanted my characters to descend from. Would their ancestor be Theseus who slew the minotaur? Or was it to be Daedelus, who could fly? I much prefer the fully-developed idea now of a line that descends from Perseus, who killed the gorgon, but inherited her accursed power.

7. Were there other titles which you were considering?
I did play around a while ago, but nothing else stuck. I can’t actually remember them –they will be in a notebook though somewhere. (I’m a hoarder of notebooks.)

8. Does your story have a moral?
Ooo, that’s hard. I never like to think that I’m moralising or being preachy – more that the characters do change over the story and learn along the way. You could take some meaning from that, (which is a moral, haha). I guess I’d say at the heart of the book, and the series, is the moral that you can’t take things for granted – people, expectations…life. Things aren’t always what they seem, or rather we each see things differently.

Other morals of the story are universal themes – exploring loss, love, loyalty…going for alliteration apparently today.

9. Let’s discuss what a typical writing session looks like for you.

Do you listen to music as you write?

Yes – generally a soundtrack that I create as the book/short story goes on.

What is your preferred writing time? Morning? Afternoon? Late at night?

I write a bit in the morning, afternoon and evening, around the dog pick-ups, walks and drop offs.

Do you have a specific location that you go to when you want to write?

Desk in the living room. Occassionally, for a change of scene a coffee shop or in the summer the park with the dogs.

Do you prefer writing outside or indoors?

I prefer indoors because I don’t get so easily distracted.

Do you like to write in public places, or do you seek out isolation?

A bit of both – the bulk is done inside but it’s so nice to shake things up and have a change of scene. I love going to the Brisitish Museum and the National Portrait Gallery in London for a bit of inspiration. Sometimes the Natural History Museum too.

Do you set daily goals for yourself (in terms of word count)?

When I’m in the bulk of a novel – planning’s done, I tend to aim for 2000 a day. But it’s different in the redraft and editing time.

10. How do you feel about outlines? Are you for or against them?
A bit of both. I like having a bit of wiggle room, but it’s feel it’s important to have a broad plan sketched out before writing.

11. Which genre do you prefer to read in?
I tend to prefer reading fantasy, some dystopian and lots of classics and some literary fiction.

12. Which genre do you prefer to write in?
So far Urban Fantasy. I did Nanowrimo last year, as well as a writing course and developed the first 2/3rds of a YA Dystopian, which I aim to finish this November during Nano and get out next year.

13. What are you currently reading?
Currently reading Black Inked Pearl by Ruth Finnigan, Mora Goddess of Death by Emrie Vegas.

14. What is your favorite book?
That’s so hard! I can’t pick a favourite. But one of my all time favourites is Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice. It’s narrated by a vampire, Louis who tells how he became one and details his relationship with his maker and his life story or “death” story, I guess. Why is it so dear to you? There’s so much in it I love – the relationship between the two main characters, the setting of New Orleans and how the story is steeped in history. Mainly though, I love the idea of immortals who are outside of time, outside of humanity but have to live within it.

15. Any project in the works?
Currently working on book 2 of The Arete Series which will be out this Autumn.

16. How long does it usually take you to write a book?
It’s hard to say as the last one has been in the pipeline for two years, but in that time I also drafted the first draft of the second which I’m currently redrafting and then I have 2/3rds of the YA Dystopian. I’d say about 9 months (like a baby) lol, from planning stage to finished product seems to be the timescale at the moment.

17. In your opinion, what makes a story ‘good?’
For me it’s about balance – I want thrills and intrigue – to be caught up and dazzled in the world within. But I also want to connect to the characters and to think of them even after the book’s finished.

18. What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Write. Whether it’s at the weekends, in the evenings – writers write and redraft and write and redraft. Other than that – perseverance.

And now for a game of “Which Do/Would You Prefer?”1. Books or movies?
Books!

2. Dogs or cats?
Dogs! (with almost as much emphasis as above)

3. Summer or winter?
Summer

4. Cake or ice-cream?
Ice-cream

5. Car or motorcycle?
Car

6. Ebook or physical book?
Physical book

7. Nights out or nights in?
Night in

8. Living in the city or living in the country?
Country

9. Having telepathy or having telekinesis?
Telekinesis

10. Being able to travel to the past or being able to travel to the future?
Past

Before we sit down with David to learn more about Personal Pronouns, let’s take a quick look at the aforementioned title’s blurb:

Joe Lehrer is grieving the death of his wife in an automobile accident, and at the same time blaming himself for it. He manages to keep his life together and return to his job as a teacher, but is rocked again by the suspicious death of a student.

With the help of his colleagues and his own dubious faith, Joe puts aside his sorrow and investigates the connections between the two deaths. He finds the truth, but also a secret, a deadly conspiracy leading from suburban Stradford to the Governor’s Mansion. Now he must decide whether compromising his own values by descending to the level of the guilty is worth the pursuit of justice.

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.
My family moved around a lot when I was a kid, from Milwaukee where I was born, to San Francisco, to Flint, MI, (yikes, don’t drink the water!) and finally to Cleveland. I’ve planted roots in the Cleveland rea, probably because I didn’t want to move any more; three moves in elementary school were enough. Now I live in Medina, OH, close to Cleveland and Akron.

2. When did you start writing?
I started writing to explain my life as a teacher, or to clarify what was really going on in schools as I saw it. Twenty years into my 43 year career as a teacher, I decided to write twenty short stories. As I spent a lot of time in the faculty lounge, I call them The Faculty Lounge Stories. I’ve sold a couple, but now six of them are archived on my web page. They’re talky and opinionated and political and I believe similar to what happens in faculty lounges in other schools.

3. Why did you start writing?
As I said above, my stories were semi-rants: nobody understood me! As I got better, the stories were less about me and more about real characters and situations. They began as re-tellings of my experiences and became more creative.

4. How different is the final product (the book) from your original vision? That is, did the structure and content of the novel change with the passage of time?Personal Pronouns began with the many of the characters that inhabit the stories, but has gone off in a different direction. The school is still the setting, the characters are more fully developed and varied, and the plot is a mystery.

5. How did you arrive at your novel’s title?
The title comes from my years teaching grammar. The protagonist, Joe Lehrer, does that too, so it works on that level. Substituting pronouns for nouns, led me to thinking that the same pronoun, “he” or “she” for example, replaces any specific noun. I believe that ties into the prostitution ring that is uncovered in the book: instead of Mary, or Connie, any “she” will do.

6. Does your story have a moral?
Ah, the moral question. I believe I was inordinately moral- or theme-driven in my earlier works, so I strove to make the plot and setting more interesting in the novel. Several themes I believe are present: Good triumphs over evil, only with effort and never permanently. A conscience is a guide, but the hero must act on his conscience. There are not always thick lines separating good people and evil people.

7. Of the characters you’ve created, which one is your favorite?
The last question flows into this one about my favorite character. It’s actually on of the bag guys, Karl. He has an interesting sense of humor and a sense of duty and a moral code.

8. What does a typical writing session look like for you?
I like to think I write like Hemingway, his process anyway. Morning, no music. I re-read yesterday’s work, make changes, then move into today’s. Unlike Papa, I sit at a word processor. No goals or word count, I know when I’m done. To me an outline is broad, a target. When things are rolling, the characters show me how to get there.

9. Any project in the works?
A sequel is in the works. I left a couple threads dangling and have several pages of notes, but I haven’t started writing: this publishing thing takes a lot of time!

And now for a game of “Which Do/Would You Prefer?”1. Books or movies?
Books

2. Dogs or cats?
Cats, and while you’re at it, Geometry, not Algebra

3. Summer or winter?
Summer

4. Cake or ice-cream?
Ice cream and cake

5. Ebook or physical book?
Physical book

6. Nights out or nights in?
Days in, nights out

7. Living in the city or living in the country?
Small, walkable city

8. Having telepathy or having telekinesis?
Telekinesis

9. Being able to travel to the past or being able to travel to the future?
Travel to the past

10. Travelling by car or travelling by airplane?
Any form of travel

11. Staying in a hotel or going camping?
Hotel!!

12. Working in a group or working alone?
Working in a group, Writing alone

13. Being Spider-Man for a day or being Batman for a day?
Batman! Even Lego Batman!